Oppose House Foreign Affairs Committee Amendment Alleging Turkey does not Safeguard its Christian Heritage
Armenian advocacy groups announced that there will be an effort to amend the State Department Authorization bill to incorporate the text of H.Res. 306 that urges Turkey to "safeguard its Christian heritage and return confiscated church properties" at the House Foreign Affairs Markup, Wednesday, July 20. This resolution distorts the facts on the ground, and flatly overlooks Turkey's efforts to promote religious freedom and tolerance, as well as the preservation of places of worship belonging to Jews and Christians. Moreover, this resolution is a back-door "Armenian genocide" resolution, a fact that is publicly confirmed by Armenian advocacy groups and sponsors of H.Res. 306.
As a founding member of the Council of Europe, and as an accession country to the European Union, Turkey is continuously reviewing and enhancing the rights of religious minorities. Turkey has undertaken comprehensive reforms which aim to provide higher standards for all Turkish citizens, irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds. The European Union recognized these specific improvements in its 2010 Progress Report, which acknowledged that "…freedom of religion, freedom of worship continues to be generally respected."
Although preserving the vast number of historical and religious sites that date back to the earliest times of human civilization is a tremendous challenge for any country, Turkey has restored numerous Christian and Jewish heritage sites. From 2003 to 2010, a total of 20 historic sites including eight churches, one synagogue and one monastery have been restored throughout Turkey. Restoration continues at three churches, two synagogues and one monastery, and is scheduled for one church and one synagogue in 2011. Among the most notable Christian heritage sites restored are the Akdamar Armenian church in Van (at a cost of $1.5 million) and the Osk Vank Georgian church near Erzurum. In addition, a major project is being undertaken by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and the World Monuments Fund to restore the historical Armenian heritage site of Ani in Kars, including the Ani Cathedral and the Church of the Holy Savior.
Moreover, in Turkey, non-Muslim places of worship are administered by their own associations or foundations. Currently, there are more than 300 places of worship belonging to non-Muslim communities, including 53 churches run by foreigners residing in Turkey. Turkish Christians have also been permitted to conduct masses at religiously significant venues that had been, due to disuse, rendered museums. For example, the Greek-Orthodox Church held a religious service at the Sumela Monastery in the Black Sea coast in August 2010. In 2010, for the first time since World War I, a religious service was organized by the Turkish Armenians at the church on Akhtamar Island. In addition, high ranking Turkish authorities, including cabinet ministers, have frequent meetings with the religious leaders of non-Muslim communities.
H.Res. 306 calls for the "return of church property." If countries were asked to return the places of worship that were built over the millennia, then many nations would have the right to reclaim ancient properties in other parts of the world. Turkey, for example, could ask for the return of thousands of mosques and sacred sites in the Balkans, Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa.
The primary motivation behind the effort to include this language in the bill is to appease a small Armenian advocacy group, which is also the driving force behind H.Res. 306 as it pursues anachronistic territorial claims against present day Turkey.
Should this amendment be adopted, there will be three sections that target Turkey in the bill. No other U.S. ally has been subjected to such unfair and harsh treatment purely out of local and parochial political concerns. Secretary Clinton just visited Turkey this weekend. She had extensive consultations with her Turkish counterparts on issues of crucial importance to U.S. foreign policy, including NATO missile defense, "the Arab Spring" and fight against terrorism. In the words of a senior State Department official, who briefed the U.S. press, "Turkey is one of those partners with which the (U.S.) relationship is so multifaceted, practically every issue under the sun" is being discussed.
Our region is going through profound historical changes. This renders Turkish–U.S. cooperation more vital than ever. Such biased resolutions, whose political motivations are dubious, should not be allowed to jeopardize this strategically important relationship.
As in all democracies, there is room for further progress with respect to enhancing religious freedom in Turkey, and reforms continue in this area. Ignoring or discounting the strides Turkey has taken over the last decade – and instead leveling unjust criticism –does not serve the strategic interests of the U.S.; rather, it inflicts serious damage to our strategic alliance.
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